Smuggler's Shiv: How to handle cannibal noncombatants

[GrandReaper]

So, the Thrune's Fang was lost ~30years ago and during that time the original 22 (in addition to Malakidna?) survivors have formed a little society and fostered children. In my thinking then, there could be some elderly members (although the weak are likely driven out or eaten) and must be some young children who are too young to fight.

My PCs will be attacking the camp either this session or next and I'm curious how people handle this side of things. Do you simply ignore their existence to facilitate moving the story forward? Would there be children (and possibly some elderly or mothers) that don't fight the PCs and survive the battle? Would having these survivors become the responsibility (and possibly useful guides) of the PCs work?

I think it would be really cool for the PCs to bring along any cannibals that are reformable as a real story reward (you really helped these kids, even if you did butcher their parents...hmmm) but I don't want their existence to derail the end of the adventure.

Any thoughts?

[Randomdays]

Thinking about this, here's a few possibilities - and I haven't looked over this part recently so I could be completely wrong about what I remember.

Cannibal or not, I don't think any children would be "useful guides" to anyone who just killed their parents. The weak and elderly might have been thrown down into the pit for the lacedons and not be around.
I'd have to look over that part of the module again, but I think from the description of the abandoned camps and such, all outsiders were considered "food" and not potential converts. There may be no children at all.
Remember too, these people are not cannibals from choice or their own nature, but due to the effects of the island on them over many years and are probably not redeemable. Any that are dragged along would probably escape at first chance or try to put a dagger in the PC's back while pretending to be "saved".

If you add children/ elderly, you could have them hole up in a cave or other place where they have barricaded themselves in and won't come out. You could add one or more recent npc shipwreck survivors who were captive in the camp and might be willing to stay and try to take care of the noncombatants, but the island could turn them as well, so that if the party returns, things could already be turning bad again.
Last, I would look at your particular party and adjust to what they might like or not. Having the survivors around might be something they would enjoy, or something that would just be irritating.

[Abudufdef]

I actually thought this was handled very gracefully in this book.

Smuggler's Shiv Spoiler:

If you read the description for the cannibal chief, Klorak, it says that he and he alone has the "responsibility" of fathering all the tribe's children. Unfortunately for him, he has been unable to sire any for years because Malikadna has been feeding him drugs.

As for the elderly, well I don't imagine that very many people make to old age in that place. Disease is problem as are natural predators. Also...

Where did grandma go?:

...if by some fluke you do make it to reasonably old age you are probably "allowed" into the "underworld" to become one of Mother Thrunefang's "children." That is you either become a lacedon or you get eaten.

[GrandReaper]

Wow. I can't believe I never read Korak's description. That certainly helps a bit. That would still likely leave some younger teenagers at the least but that is much more manageable.

And I definitely like the "Where did grandma go?". That might be just the kind of thing a survivor might be able to communicate. Gotta love ambiguous breadcrumbs.

[GrandReaper]

I'm actually leaning towards leaving a small community of survivors - maybe 10-12 noncombatants - who will survive and give information in exchange for the promise to be left in peace. I'll play up how abusive Malakidna and Korak have been. Hmmmmm.

[Rynjin]

How we handled it was our Barbarian Intimidated the living shit out of all the noncombatants and then we took them off the island with us when we left and had them settled in an area.

Probably not smart long-term but eh.